{UAH} Four more Rwandans tortured, deported from Uganda
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Four more Rwandans tortured, deported from Uganda
Four Rwandans who say were illegally detained, badly tortured for months, were on Saturday deported from Uganda.
The quartet, all male, is Emmanuel Ndayambaje, Alex Ukijijwenimana, Patrick Shingiro and René Bizumuremyi.
They were separately arrested by Ugandan security operatives and detained in different ungazetted areas, mainly military barracks.
They were all handed over to Rwandan authorities at Kagitumba border in Nyagatare District, according to officials.
Despite being picked separately and at different times, the common denominator is that they were illegally arrested, tortured and harassed and all accused of being "Rwandan government spies".
"I worked in Mbarara where I have been since last year working for a member of Ugandan parliament, I was arrested by security officers without any reason, I was taken to Makenke Barracks and badly beaten," said Ndayambaje.
Makenke Barracks in western Uganda district of Mbarara.
Later, he said, he was informed that he was being held for being a Rwandan spy "which I denied because it was not the case."
"They repeatedly beat me up under my feet and in the knees, it was really torture, I was later taken to Mbuya Barracks where I also endured torture and harassment," he said.
Mbuya in the capital Kampala.
"Simply, being a Rwandan there is a crime itself," he added.
Ndayambaje, a father of two who hails from Karama sector in Nyagatare District, said that once he was arrested, his employer never followed up to facilitated him so that he could face justice.
"I spent two months in two separate barracks; I asked military officers to call my boss and ask him information about me but they wondered whether he was not aware of my being detained," he said.
He said there are many other Rwandan nationals who are being detained and are undergoing torture in both facilities where he was held.
He recalls several names of people he said are Rwandans who are illegally detained in Mbuya Barracks; Evode Habimana, Eric Mugiraneza, Nelson Mugabo, others known as Masudi, Rukundo, Simon, Venant among others.
"There are about seventy people inside Mbuya barracks only, they are living miserable lives and this particular person - Nelson Mugabo from Rubavu District - has been illegally detained for over 14 months. He can hardly walk as he seems to be physically disabled due to repeated beatings," he narrated.
Patrick Shingiro from Nyamagabe District left the country in January to visit his colleagues and see if could take advantage of the free movement of people and start a business there.
This was never the case for him.
"I entered Uganda legally and met my friends who took me in for a few days but I planned to start a business. No sooner had I started looking for a house to rent than I was arrested," he said.
"I found myself at CMI where I was immediately blindfolded and handcuffed, together with others I found there, I was detained in cold rooms. Here, we were grilled with questions, they accused me of being a spy and there more I denied the allegations the more I was beaten up," he said.
CMI is the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence.
He said he was then moved to different facilities, where he endured daily beatings.
"We were lucky that we were deported and are safe now, I can wish anyone to live the lives we endured while in detentions," he added.
Early last week, three more Rwandans were deported after they were tortured and harassed according to officials.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Richard Sezibera recently said that over 100 Rwandans are known to be in illegal detention currently in Uganda and are not allowed consular services nor access to legal assistance among other basic human rights.
Subsequently, government has advised nationals against traveling to Uganda until their safety there is guaranteed.
"If I'm right, and I'm pretty sure I am," writes Dr. Epstein, Trump is capable of only a minimal level of analytical or critical thinking." (Photo: DonkeyHotey/flickr/cc)
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